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#10 of the Washington Redskins sits on the bench in the fourth quarter during an NFL game against the Kansas City Chiefs at FedExField on December 8, 2013 in Landover, Maryland. The Chiefs defeated the Redskins 45-10. (Credit: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (CBSDC) – This week has been a tough pill for Redskins fans to swallow.

From moments before kickoff on Sunday when a report leaked about Shanahan wanting to quit in 2012, to Shanahan benching franchise quarterback Robert Griffin III, explaining the move away as being in the interest of Griffin’s health — and not to stir up a quarterback controversy between he and newly-named starter Kirk Cousins — the reverberations from which could conceivably destroy a quarterback’s confidence forever.

Over the course of the last six days, Redskins fans have had to sit and watch in horror, as all their hopes and dreams tethered to the Mike Shanahan regime – with a limit projected the heavens with the drafting of RGIII – come crashing down into a smoldering, hopeless wreck.

All this with the realization that Shanahan will likely ride off into the sunset at the conclusion of the season, if not sooner, stuffed wallet in-hand.

So it’s understandable if delusion has set in.

And it has.

Listen to one Redskins fan call into the Lavar and Dukes Show on Thursday as he tries to dismiss the potential of a quarterback controversy, and has to have it explained to him that his favorite team’s starting quarterback was just benched for the backup.

Caller: I think in the end, in my opinion, I feel like if Cousins does good, it’s gonna be because it’s gonna increase his value as a backup for other teams. Just face it, I don’t foresee him starting in the Redskins while RGIII is here. The Skins have put too much time and effort into him.

Lavar: He’s starting now.

Caller: I’m sorry?

Lavar: He’s starting now.

Caller: But they put too much time in him for a quarterback controversy. This city and Dan Snyder loves RGIII. And let’s face it, if we were 10-3, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.

Lavar: But we aren’t. And he’s benched. And Kirk Cousins is starting now. What do you mean you can’t perceive it?

Caller: I’m talking, yea. The reasons why, the reasons why Shanahan gave us, we all know, in my opinion, is crazy. I’m talking for next year, if Cousins lights up the next three games, next year it’s gonna be RGIII’s position to lose unless he gets injured again.

Oh, the joy of being a Redskins fan. Always reconstructing history to paint the season in the best possible light.

Reconstructing 3-10 to 10-3, and the quarterback position being RGIII’s to lose (he’s already lost it).

When your franchise quarterback has been benched the remainder of the season for a guy who was taken in the same draft, and you have fans picking sides (even rooting for one to fail, even if it means another another miserable loss for the team), you have a quarterback controversy. I’m sorry.